Fort Morgan-October 2014

Spending our fall break at the beach proved to be very relaxing! Just what we needed...
We soaked up the sun, made some new friends from other states, celebrated "Daddy Nick's" 67th birthday, went crab hunting, ate some great seafood, watched some beautiful sunsets and soaked up the sun!! This family loves the beach!

More pictures to come! :) So many pictures, so little time...

A First for Our Last

Well, we never dreamed it would hit us like it did, but Mary Claire losing her 1st tooth last Thursday night had Jan and me in tears. Yes, tears shed over a lost tooth because our last baby was losing her 1st tooth. That's a BIG DEAL, right? I guess it is to us...

Putting her tooth in her tooth fairy pillow!

 

 

Excited to see what the Tooth Fairy will bring!

The Tooth Fairy delivered a gold dollar coin...She was so excited and told the principal at school as she entered, "I lost my tooth, and I got a gold quarter!" :)

Cherish the moments!

My Explorers

Sept. 20th was an adventurous day, for sure. I decided at the last minute that I would do a race at 8:00 a.m. A duathlon- The Barnstormer (run 2 miles, bike 13 miles, run 2 more miles). I figured I could fit it in before the kids' soccer games, so I aired up my bike tires, grabbed my hat and shoes, and took off early.

It was a beautiful morning. Not a cloud in the sky! A bit warm, but not too bad. I got there, registered, set up my bike, and then made my way to the nearest restroom.  I don't know what it is about going to the bathroom before the race. Sometimes, I think it's more of a mental thing.:)

I'll spare you the other details except to say that I finished. My time wasn't too bad despite the fact that I hadn't done much riding lately. There were about 2x the # of people in this Year's Barnstormer Duathlon than last year. Glad to see a local race growing in number!

After the race, I went straight to the soccer field. All 3 of my kiddos were playing at the same time, so I "split my eyes" to watch both games and take pictures and video of their FUN!

After soccer, we all raced home to take showers and then left for Union City. It was Lewis and Clark Day at the Discovery Park and my boys REALLY wanted to go and earn their 1st Boy/Cub Scout patches. In good momma fashion, I sucked up the fact that I really wanted to work on the house and rest form the race, and I drove the kids to Lewis and Clark day. 

Have I told you how much I love my kids?

We had such a great time learning about Lewis and Clark! The boys earned a Lewis and Clark patch for the work that they did discovering facts about these two explorers. We visited the rest of the park that we didn't get to see when were there in July.

Jonah

That's John Owen!

John Owen had the BEST aim at shooting BBs at cans!

Jonah takes aim and shoots!

Of course, little sister cannot be left out of the fun.:)

Is this about Lewis and Clark or pirates? :) Mary Claire thinks PIRATES, I guess...

Grizzly bear paw mold

Hope this isn't how he looks sitting in his REAL classroom!

What an adventurous day for us all!

Random September Shots

Finally got a new phone! 1st picture I took was a "selfie" with my boys!:)

Then, of course, I had to have a "selfie" with the princess!

Grandparent's Day Picnic with 2 special Grandads!

John Owen taking a break at soccer! He has played so HARD this year! I'm super proud of him.

Bicycle Safety Night at Cub Scouts!

Jonah and John Owen are on the same soccer team this year, and they both have made great improvements in their game!

I can't believe September is almost over! We have been super busy with dance, Boy Scouts, Cub Scouts, soccer, school, church...Have I left anything out? However, it's nice to have nights at home where we can regroup and relax. I love these kiddos with all my heart (and their Daddy, too)! Whether running from one activity to another or just watching a movie at home together on the couch, I am thankful for every precious moment.

A Boy and His Imagination

 Jonah is such a joy! His imagination for building things is wonderful! He built this "fort" by himself behind my parents' house on Labor Day weekend. He used fallen branches form the trees you see pictured behind him. I love this child...

A Royal Birthday!

 No, I'm not royalty. :) I'm not wearing the crown because it's my birthday, but because I was the "Queen of Books" at Sir Readalot's Castle at school. Our fall Book Fair began on my birthday, Sept. 4th, and lasted though Sept. 15th. It's a fun time in the library, and I enjoy playing right along with the theme every time! My 37th birthday was GREAT! Jan sent me flowers and balloons to school along with a snickers and diet coke. (He knows me so well!) I had to work late on my birthday:(, but we celebrated with CAKE (my favorite-strawberry made by Mrs. Baugues) after I got home. We all ate in our pajamas. It was perfect!!
My coworkers gave me such sweet cards and even treated me to lunch! I FINALLY got a new phone, and I LOVE it! I opted for the one with the best camera seeing as how I never carry my camera with me anymore. I need a phone that takes somewhat quality pictures because it's the easiest thing to carry with me as I RUN form activity to activity with the kids!

Do you see all that icing? I usually have a stomachache after eating so much sugar at once! Once in awhile indulgence...

My flowers from Jan. (Couldn't fit the balloons in the picture with the OLD phone!)

 My kids made me the sweetest handmade cards. Made me cry! (And I didn't take a picture.) But I will! I never throw away the cards they make me. I have a special box where I keep every Mother's Day card and birthday card they have ever made for me. Super special!!
I'm 37 years old now. Wow! Maybe not a royal birthday, but a blessed birthday FOR SURE!

Tales from Summer 2014

Jonah went to his first football camp this summer. I was so proud of him! He loved it! Future football player??

Not the best quality picture, but we are still trying to keep up with running. It's hard with busy schedules, but somehow, we are managing to train for another marathon. Last fall, the marathon we had been training for was cancelled due to ice. I got very sick with a staph infection in my nose and ended up having nasal surgery in January. It was a little bit of a setback especially when after recovering form the surgery, I sprained my ankle while running a trail race. I was in a boot for a few weeks. I am slowly, but surely getting back in to a routine. St. Jude marathon is Dec 6th!! Jan and I would like to run it together. :)

Yes, that's me. Yes, I am riding a roller coaster called the Tennessee Twister. Yes, I was probably the only person screaming loudly. The picture says it all. Need I say more?

Two handsome fellas waiting in line to ride the rides at Dollywood.

One tired little girl after a week at VBS in June. Fell asleep at the dinner table in her chair...

Here they go! These boys live for thrill rides!

Acting the part...:)

John Owen and his relay team paused for a picture after they had just won their event. Great swimmers!

My three triathlon competitors! Great job, guys!

Mimi and Mary Claire enjoyed some fireworks and snuggles after the Stars and Stripes 5k.

This just SCREAMS personality, right? Well, this girl's got plenty of it. :)

Mary Claire and me at the 4th of July celebration at church. It was a little smoky, but the fireworks were AWESOME!